


Never Mind

by shambhalala



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28483380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shambhalala/pseuds/shambhalala
Summary: Sometimes a blow to the head is all you need to confess your true feelings.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian, Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Comments: 10
Kudos: 33





	Never Mind

Warnings: cursing, emotional distress, mild injury.

Song that helped me write this:

['Moon' by Sleeping at Last](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NALeI_SVNgE)

* * *

Friends with benefits.

That’s what they were, right? That’s what they’d told themselves, at least; they’d been exchanging flirty remarks ever since their reunion on Omega, much to the intrigue and amusement of the rest of the Normandy crew.

But now, even though tensions had eased after the suicide mission, they kept up their routine.

They’d flirt during the day. Quinn would invite him to her cabin in the evening. One of them, usually Garrus, would bring wine. They’d talk and drink for a bit, make out for a hell of a lot longer, and when the lingering touches and barely contained moans became too much, they’d end up on her bed, eventually falling asleep tangled in sheets and each other’s arms.

If that was all they were, then why did she keep having these nightmares?

Quinn woke with a start, not for the first time that week. She sighed as she took in her surroundings, her tired, anxious brain mellowing as she realised she was in her cabin.

Her mind always conjured up some horrifying depiction of Garrus’s death. This time, he was surrounded by a seeker swarm, snatched off his feet, and left to thrash desperately as he was forced into the air. The image was still replaying in her mind, the sound of his screams echoing in her ears.

Her eyes focused on the ceiling.

 _The mission is over_. _Everyone is fine_ , _he_ ’ _s fine_ , she told herself.

Quinn turned on her side, heart fluttering at the sight of him. Garrus was still sound asleep, his mouth acutely open as his chest rose and fell. She had always found him handsome along with his charming demeanour, but there was something about seeing him so peaceful that made her heart sing in a way she had never experienced before.

Garrus was incredibly polite back when they first met on the Citadel, but his straightforward manner was a breath of fresh air. A lot of people tried to overcompensate in the presence of ‘the one and only’ Commander Shepard, but Garrus was upfront with her from the start, which struck a chord in her heart. They gradually fell in sync with each other on the battlefield, shooting side by side and maneuvering around each other in an effortless dance. Their trust in each other’s skills eventually extended into a deeper friendship, and the two were never seen far from each other during their downtime on the Normandy, exchanging weapon schematics and life stories. Despite the grisly reputation he’d earned himself on Omega, their reunion was as if no time had passed at all.

Quinn scraped her brown locks from her face and reached a hand out towards Garrus. She ran her fingertips across one of his arms, finding the ridges of the scales oddly comforting. She felt childish, needing to reassure herself that he was real, alive, and next to her. But as she repeated the delicate action, up and down, up and down, she felt her heartbeat calm, and her breathing evened.

Garrus stirred in his sleep, mumbling something incomprehensible. The arm she had been tracing delicate patterns on reached out and draped across her waist, pulling her in close. Quinn looked up at him again, their faces mere inches apart. His eyes were still soundly shut.

Though Quinn’s heartbeat had slowed, her mind was still racing.

Garrus was one of her oldest friends of everyone on the ship, making him one of the few people she had let into her inner circle. She always found it easier that way, holding everyone except those she knew best at arm’s length. It was how she survived on Earth all those years ago; why fix something that’s not broken?

But she knew things between her and Garrus had changed. The energy between them was charged differently ever since their reunion. Sure, sex helped relieve it, but there was a warm, fuzzy sensation filling their in-between moments, peppered with gentle touches, stolen glances, and any excuse to spend more time together. Quinn found herself craving the sensation, craving _him_.

A smile flicked across her face as a realisation occurred to her. They’d been to hell and back together, more than once, and time and time again they ended up at each other’s side.

 _That has to mean something_.

Quinn felt her eyelids drooping again. She pulled the covers up and settled in to Garrus’s warm embrace, closing her eyes, and hoping the nightmares wouldn’t return tonight.

The next day was drawing to a close when Quinn eventually worked up the nerve to invite Garrus to her cabin. She’d been avoiding him all day, even going as far as making an excuse to leave the mess hall early. Mordin followed after her, with a subtle question of if she required more ointments. She politely declined.

Quinn’s stomach was in knots as she paced back and forth. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about everything that had been racing through her mind last night, about what she and Garrus really wanted from each other. She knew she needed to say something, but now her mind was blank.

At last she heard the familiar hiss of the door opening, and she knew her time was up.

Garrus’s eyes met hers immediately. Quinn’s stomach dropped again, but she smiled at him, unable to help herself. Garrus’s eyes lit up in response, but he looked away quicker than usual as he made his way down the steps, standing a couple of feet away from her.

She broke the silence. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Garrus responded, his voice as smooth and casual as ever. He cleared his throat, shuffling.

“I’m all out of wine for now. Sorry.”

Quinn shook her head. “It’s fine,” she insisted with a small smile. She straightened her posture and clenched her hands together, hoping the act would suppress her nerves.

“I was hoping we could talk, anyway. With clear heads.”

Quinn made her way to the sofa, Garrus following.

“Sure, I’ve been trying to catch you all day actually,” Garrus replied, sitting down and crossing one leg over the other. “Hope you weren’t avoiding me on purpose,” he joked, snickering a little at the end.

Quinn’s heart plummeted with guilt. _Damn this Turian_ , _he_ ’ _s so perceptive_.

She shuffled in her seat, folding and unfolding her arms. Garrus noticed, and his mood immediately shifted. He swallowed, the air feeling thick and heavy around them.

Quinn’s body felt numb with apprehension; she’d never really had a conversation like this, so she didn’t even know where to begin.

_May as well get to the point._

“I… I wanted to talk about us. About… this… thing we have going,” she began, eyes flicking up to Garrus then down to the floor.

Garrus remained silent, his heart filling with dread. _Spirits_ , he wished he’d had the courage to pluck up this conversation with her for himself. He trusted her to be gentle with her words, even if that wasn’t her strongpoint, but he hated being left in the dark.

Quinn folded her arms again, curling in on herself and continuing to avoid his gaze.

“I think, no… I feel that… maybe we could be something…”

She shot out of her seat, raking her hands through her ponytail with a frustrated groan. “Never mind, this was a stupid idea.”

She turned away from Garrus in shame, pinching the bridge of her nose. She’d fought countless geth, been brought back from the dead, and survived a mission that was almost guaranteed to be a one-way trip, but she couldn’t even muster the words to talk about her feelings.

 _God knows what he must think of you now_ , she taunted herself.

Garrus stood up, pacing over to her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“No, it isn’t stupid. I’ve… been wanting to say something about this as well,” he spoke, keeping his voice gentle. Quinn turned around. His eyes were burning with a thousand unspoken words as he looked back at her, his other hand taking one of hers. Either it was his imagination, or she was shaking a little.

“Quinn, I…” he hesitated. Now that he was here, staring into her dark eyes, everything he wanted to say had disappeared.

Instead, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She relaxed underneath him, bringing one hand up to his face as their eyes fluttered shut.

Quinn still had a dreamy look on her face as they pulled apart, mere inches from each other. Garrus found himself filled with renewed confidence, and he cleared his throat.

“I really like what we have going here. But I’d like it a _hell_ of a lot… if we could be even more.” His words were tinged with apprehension as they filled the air.

Quinn’s eyes widened, and she felt her heart swelling in her chest. Before she could even blink them away, tears were springing to her eyes, and she felt a giant weight vanish from her shoulders.

Garrus’s eyes widened in panic. “If that was too forward of me-”

He didn’t even finish his sentence before Quinn wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him down, crashing their lips together. Adrenaline rushed through his limbs and before he could stop himself, he guided his hands down to the back of her thighs, picking her up with ease.

Quinn giggled, smiling between their eager kisses. They all but crash landed on her bed, too elated to care much about their surroundings. Their hearts hammered in unison as Garrus pulled away to look at her, melting in her smile. Her tight ponytail was loosened to the point where it hardly existed anymore. Wisps of brown hair scattered around her across the pillow, as loose and carefree as she felt.

Quinn sighed happily, reaching a hand to caress Garrus’s face once more. He was right; she _did_ have a thing for men with scars.

With her nerves finally dissipated, she found the words to say everything she’d been dying to.

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that, Garrus,” she breathed. “I really care about you. I think… I think I’ve wanted this for a long time. I was just too afraid to say it.”

“I figured as much, considering you all but jumped on me,” Garrus replied with a relieved chuckle. One of his hands was still caressing the back of her thigh. He squeezed it.

“But… I really care about you too, Quinn. I wanna see where this goes,” he confessed, his voice quietening as he traced his hand up her side, along her outstretched arm, linking with her hand that still lingered on his face.

Quinn had never felt more at ease as she gently sat up, pressing their foreheads together. She shut her eyes and breathed, and for a few moments, the only sounds were the hum of the ship and their soft breaths that tickled their cheeks.

In the back of her mind, she knew they still had more to discuss. Her nightmares, as it turned out, _hadn’t_ let up last night even after she’d calmed herself down, and she knew she couldn’t cope for much longer. However, that troublesome thought popped as quickly as it came as Garrus broke their silence.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever told you. You have a lovely smile.”

Blood rushed to her face at the unexpected compliment. In all her years as Commander Shepard, she’d been called many things; strong, fearsome, a born leader, the list went on. But so few had complimented her appearance, and _no one_ , as far as she could remember, had ever complimented her smile.

Until now.

Quinn forced herself back into reality. Garrus was scanning her face with a long, slow gaze that made her heart burn.

“Well, you’ll be seeing it a lot more now.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

Garrus gave a hum of approval, and they sank down towards her mattress.

They didn’t even notice the lack of wine that evening.

Two weeks passed, and the permanent dreamy smile plastered on Shepard’s face had become the talk of the ship, though she couldn’t have cared less. Joker hadn’t dared delve into the realm of “reach and flexibility” jokes just yet, though he’d be sure to seize the opportunity next time she came along to be his backseat driver. Tali wasted no time in pulling Quinn to one side and grilling her on the details of her and Garrus’s exchange that night. Their shared laughter could be heard all around the engineering deck, much to the annoyance of Jack, but even she smiled softly to herself as she laid back on her hammock, pleased that Shepard was finally catching a break.

Or so everyone thought.

Quinn gasped and opened her eyes. It was dark again, and her eyelids felt heavy. She sighed, sitting up.

 _What_ ’ _s that_ , _fifteen_ … _no_ , _sixteen days in a row_? _Gotta be a new record_.

She looked to her right. Garrus was asleep next to her, same as the night before, and the night before that. Yet her nightmares seemed determined to convince her otherwise.

Quinn peeled the covers from herself and slid two heavy legs out of bed. She stood up, swaying a little from so many sleepless nights. Her mind was barely registering where her body was taking her, but she managed to convince herself it was better than being trapped in the endless cycle of torture that her unconscious mind had become.

The bathroom door slid open and she stumbled in, eyes snapping shut at the bright lights. She wrestled out of her tank top and shorts, eyes still closed, and trudged forward, smacking a variety of buttons on the shower panel until hot water began to trickle down her body. She sighed as it ran down her neck, her shoulders, her legs… but the relief never came.

Her heart was hammering. When she finally willed herself to open her eyes, her vision was blurred with tears that disappeared down the drain, only to be replaced with more.

They kept coming until her face crumpled in pure agony.

Quinn let out an excruciating wail. Her knees buckled and she slumped to the ground, curling in on herself as she drew in high pitched, shaky breaths. Every inch of her body and mind had reached breaking point, and this was the result.

After a few minutes, her sobs turned into soft whimpers. She couldn’t remember a time she had felt such pure, unadulterated heartache, and now she didn’t know what to do.

So she stayed there, alone under the warm water, until she heard the bathroom door open. A familiar voice followed, panic evident in his words.

“Quinn! What are you-”

Quinn looked up in horror, puffy eyes wide. Garrus stood above her, reaching to turn off the running water. In a flash she panicked, trying to suppress all the emotions she had let out.

“Garrus!” She exclaimed, moving to stand up. “I didn’t know you were-”

 _Whack_.

“Agh! Son of a _bitch_!”

One hand instinctively moved to the back of her head, where she had banged it against the shower’s control panel. It was already starting to throb.

Garrus stepped in closer, keeping his voice soft despite his concern. “Quinn, are you hurt? Are you bleeding?” He was about to place a hand on her shoulder, a gentle offer of help as his heart began to hammer, but she turned away from him, leaning against the wall.

“No,” she sighed. She turned around, ignoring how the room swayed as she moved too quickly. Nothing she hadn’t experienced before… but something was different as she looked at her boyfriend.

Did Garrus always have two heads?

She squinted at him, trying to focus. Her stomach was starting to churn. Garrus planted a hand on her shoulder.

“That sounded pretty bad. You should go to the medical bay, let Doctor Chakwas take a look at you.”

Garrus’s words were echoing as Quinn still tried to focus on one of his two heads. She frowned and pushed past him, seeing her tank top and shorts in a heap on the floor. She grabbed them, ignoring the way her head screamed in agony as she bent towards the ground. The churning in her stomach intensified as she stood on one leg, hopping into her shorts. She cursed internally; why was this so damn difficult all of a sudden?!

“No… I’ll be fine. I just need to… rest my head.” Her words were slow, stunted, and came many seconds after Garrus’s initial question. He watched her from only a step away, concern growing as she stumbled out of the bathroom. She immediately made a beeline for her desk, all but crashing into it with a heavy groan.

She clutched her stomach with one hand, taking a deep breath. “Shit… _shit_ …”

Garrus tried again. “Quinn, I really think you should-”

She turned to glare at him, dark eyes full of ice. “Garrus, for the last time, I don’t need to go to the med bay. I’ll be… I’ll be…”

Before she could even finish her sentence, the world blurred once again. She swayed backwards, limbs giving way. With only slight smugness, Garrus swooped in to catch her, carrying her bridal style towards the elevator as her body slumped into his arms.

“I beg to differ, Shepard,” he chuckled, shaking his head. He always knew she was stubborn, but _spirits_ … they had _a lot_ more to learn about each other.

Garrus moved on autopilot as the elevator arrived on the third floor. He’d woken up with immediate concern when he heard the sobs and saw she wasn’t next to him, but what was she even _doing_ in the shower in the middle of the night? Had she done this before, and he hadn’t noticed?

He sighed to himself, glancing down at Quinn’s unconscious body in his arms. He didn’t know what was worse; the thought that she was suffering, or the thought that he hadn’t realised.

He arrived at the medical bay, surprised to see that Doctor Chakwas was awake.

“Doctor Chakwas,” he greeted her, and she turned around. “We need your help.”

Doctor Chakwas glanced between Garrus and the now stirring Commander Shepard in his arms. “Garrus? Commander? Set her down on the bed, let me take a look at her.”

She sprung out of her seat as Garrus placed Quinn on the edge of a nearby medical cot. She sat hunched over, still leaning on Garrus for support, before she lifted her head with a moan, eyes still closed.

Garrus kept his gaze focused on Quinn, heart still not settled. “Sorry Doctor, I know it’s late.”

Doctor Chakwas shook her head with a kind smile. “It’s all right, medical emergencies can happen at any time. I was just writing up some reports anyway. What happened to her?”

“She hit her head on the shower panel. Managed to get herself dressed, then almost collapsed onto the floor.”

Quinn’s eyes opened a fraction, and Garrus let out a sigh of relief. She shielded them immediately, moaning again.

“Wha-where am I? Why is it so bright?”

Garrus snapped his head towards Doctor Chakwas, taking comfort in her confident approach. She placed a hand on Quinn’s shoulder and spoke clearly.

“Shepard it’s me, Doctor Chakwas. You’re in the medical bay. Garrus told me you hit your head.”

Quinn mumbled unintelligibly, moving a hand to clutch her stomach again.

“She was pretty insistent that she didn’t need medical attention, but… well.” Garrus punctuated his statement with a soft sigh.

Doctor Chakwas hummed in response, lifting Quinn’s head and gently prying open her heavy eyelids.

“Well, she was _always_ stubborn. But… light sensitivity, confusion, losing consciousness…”

She glanced down at the hand Quinn had clutched to her stomach. Garrus’s gaze followed hers.

“… and nauseated.” She cleared her throat. “Shepard, it appears you have a mild concussion. I’m going to run some brain scans then administer some medication for the pain. We’ll keep you in here overnight as well, just to be safe.”

Doctor Chakwas stopped to open her omni tool, pressing buttons which sent beams of light shooting up and down and across Quinn’s head. Garrus stood back as she worked, relieved at her use of the word “mild”.

Quinn attempted to open her eyes once more, still only squinting through the tiniest of gaps. As she gained more consciousness, the pounding in the back of her head became more and more apparent.

“Shit, my head,” she cursed. She moved a hand to the back of it, but Garrus intervened, intertwining his fingers with hers with a gentle squeeze.

“Hey, take it easy.”

Dr Chakwas stared at the information in front of her, then closed her omni tool, casting an optimistic look towards Garrus. “No sign of internal bleeding on the brain. It’s just mild trauma.”

“So she’ll be all right?”

“Yes, the medi gel will get to work and she’ll feel much better by tomorrow. I suspect symptoms will have fully ceased in two days. Be thankful the big battle is over, I suppose.”

Garrus sighed in relief, shaking his head with a gentle chuckle. “If I know Quinn-” he stopped, clearing his throat, “uh, Shepard, she’ll not be happy about being bedbound for tomorrow.”

Doctor Chakwas smiled at Garrus as she grabbed a syringe and filled it with medi gel. She injected the liquid into Quinn’s arm with only mild protests coming from her patient. Garrus helped settle Quinn back onto the cot once the injection was done, positioning the pillows underneath her. Quinn’s eyes were fluttering shut, her hand still loosely holding Garrus’s.

“Is it okay if I stay here, keep an eye on her? I’m sure you could use the rest anyway, Doc.”

With another smile, Doctor Chakwas nodded. “Of course, Garrus. But please, _do_ wake me if anything changes.”

The two said their goodnights, leaving Quinn and Garrus alone in the medical bay. Garrus grabbed a chair, pulling it up to sit beside her. He noticed her eyes were open a fraction wider, watching him with a small smile. Garrus felt his heart calming down at last.

“Hey you. How you holdin’ up?”

Quinn raised an eyebrow at him. “What’re _you_ lookin’ at?”

She laughed to herself. Garrus shook his head.

“Just looking at the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, who made me worried sick tonight.”

“Pfft,” Quinn sighed. “You worry too much. Ya big ol’ lug.”

She lifted her arm and nudged him. Garrus managed a laugh, Quinn now fixating her gaze on the ceiling. She looked as if she were staring straight through the ship, out into the vast expanse of space.

Then came the single most bizarre question Garrus had ever heard her ask.

“You ever sat on a Hanar, Garrus?”

He blinked. “Can’t say that I have.”

Quinn’s stare didn’t falter, but a smile was working its way up her cheeks, punctuated with giggles. “Cause that what it feels like I’m doin’ right now, and _maaan_ … it’s like a cloud. You are _missin_ ’ _out_.”

She laughed to herself. “The great Commander Shepard, downed by a concussion in the shower. How hilarious is that?” She laughed harder, snorting.

“You’re awfully _talkative_ for someone with a mild concussion. Guess the pain meds are working.”

“It helps.” Quinn’s smile softened, her eyes dreamy and distant. Garrus normally would have felt himself getting lost in them, if it weren’t for the nagging question in the back of his mind. He took one of her hands.

“What were you _doing_ in the shower at 2AM anyway?”

Quinn’s smile began to fade, her lip trembling. Garrus rubbed the back of her hand, trying to soothe her.

“Hey, if you’d rather wait to talk about it-”

“I keep having nightmares. About the suicide mission. About you.”

Garrus stopped the soothing motion, stunned into silence. Tears welled up in Quinn’s eyes as she continued.

“My head keeps going round and round in circles every night. About… about what could’ve happened to you. And I can’t get it to stop.” She sniffled, letting the tears fall freely. Garrus didn’t know what to say, his chest starting to ache.

“It-it’s been going on for a few weeks now.” She laughed a little. “I guess it was my brain’s way of telling me that-that-”

With a gentle sob, she brought one hand to her eyes, squeezing them shut and pinching the tears into her hand.

“Garrus, I’m terrified.”

“Of what?”

Quinn moved her hand away, letting the tears flow once more as the truth spilled out.

“Of losing you. So much crazy shit has happened in my life, and you’re one of the few good things that’s stuck around for the long haul. It’s too good to be true and my head keeps telling me night after night that you’ll get snatched away from me like everything else. I mean, sure, we survived the suicide mission… but there’s a war coming now.”

The aching in Garrus’s chest intensified. He let out a long, deep sigh and closed his eyes. He knew Quinn had always been reserved, but he hated knowing she’d been laying by his side being silently tortured for weeks on end and he was none the wiser. He felt foolish, unworthy. He tilted his head up, hoping what he was about to say was the right thing.

“Hey, no reapers are gonna take down this Turian without a fight, I promise you that. And whatever happens, we’re in this together. I wouldn’t even _dream_ of leaving Commander Shepard alone without her best sniper.”

Quinn smiled a little, but Garrus’s heart continued to sink.

“Quinn… you could’ve talked to me about this sooner. Or Tali. Even Joker. Hell, _everyone_ on this ship loves you and would give you the time of day if you needed to talk. I know the council haven’t exactly been… _helpful_ … about the reapers, but we’re all on your side. This isn’t _your_ war. It’s _our_ war.”

They stared at each other. The room was deathly silent.

“I didn’t mean that to sound accusatory. I… I really care about you, Quinn. A hell of a lot. I can’t stand the thought of you suffering alone. Not when you don’t have to.” Garrus squeezed her hand again.

“And I promise I’m not going anywhere. Not anytime soon.”

Quinn sniffled, tears still streaking the sides of her face. “Thank you, Garrus. I really care about you too.” She shuffled upwards a fraction, placing one hand on his mandible.

“I guess after everything on Earth, on Akuze, I’m just… used to relying on myself. Not healthy, I know,” she laughed a little, until a grimace struck her face and she placed her head back down on the pillow, feeling her eyelids growing heavy.

“Don’t worry about it for now. Just try and get some rest.”

Quinn threaded her fingers through his, managing to keep her eyes open long enough to utter a gentle request.

“Stay with me?”

“Of course.”

Quinn sighed as her eyes finally fluttered shut. Silence settled over the room again and Garrus finally felt his chest lightening from its earlier burdens. He took a moment to truly look at her – this formidable woman, so beautiful and strong, laying with a peaceful expression that spoke nothing of the burdens she carried.

Another unexpected utterance caught Garrus off guard.

“I don’t wanna lose you, Gare Bear.”

Garrus blinked in confusion. He’d never heard _that_ one before. He chuckled.

“You won’t, I promise.”

The next morning, Quinn was up and moving, feeling renewed. Doctor Chakwas had checked on her first thing in the morning, giving her the all-clear after a quick assessment. She received the usual formal greetings from her crew, in addition to a few relieved hugs that she was okay. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at how quickly word travelled around the ship, but it was to be expected.

She made her way to the main battery. The doors hissed as they opened and sure enough, Garrus was stood facing away from her, tapping away at the console in front of him. She put her hands behind her back and rocked on the balls of her feet, clearing her throat to gain his attention.

Garrus whipped round immediately, his eyes lighting up at seeing her so rejuvenated. He stepped away from the console and gently wrapped his arms around her, careful to avoid touching her head despite how much he loved the softness of her hair.

“Shouldn’t you still be in bed?”

She laughed into his chest. “Relax, Chakwas gave me the all-clear.”

“Well, glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“I am. Thank you for everything, Garrus.”

They parted, still standing mere inches apart. A thought crossed Garrus’s mind, and he couldn’t stop himself from sharing it.

“I have to ask… how much do you remember from last night?”

Quinn pursed her lips. “Most of it, I think.” She glanced at the floor, wringing her hands together.

“I meant what I said. I don’t wanna lose you.” Her voice barely broke through the machinery humming from behind them, but Garrus heard her with perfect clarity. He took one of her hands, stroking it with both of his.

“I know. And I also meant what _I_ said. You won’t be losing me any time soon, either.”

Quinn relaxed into a gentle smile, reaching up and pecking his lips.

“Guess I’d better go and tell the others I’m awake. I’ll leave you to your calibrations,” she said, taking a step back towards the door. They let their eyes linger on each other, Garrus giving her a nod.

“I’ll be here if you need me. Your Gare Bear isn’t going anywhere.”

Quinn’s smile dropped into a look of utter confusion. Evidently, she hadn’t remembered _everything_ from last night. Garrus laughed, shaking his head.

“Never mind.”


End file.
